Συντελεστές

Janina Baechle (Mezzo), Charles Spencer (Piano).

SACD/CD HYBRID. Can be played on any standard CD player.

After few years only Janina Baechle has become one of the great mezzo-sopranos of our time. Born in Hamburg, she studied musicology and history in her home town. Simultaneously she took singing lessons with Gisela Litz and later finished her vocal education with Brigitte Fassbaender. Her first public performance was in 1997. Since 2004 she is a member of the Vienna State Opera, indispensable in the roles of Ortrud, Brangäne and Quickly. On other opera stages she could be seen and heard as the nurse in «The Woman Without a Shadow», Judith in «Duke Bluebeard’s Castle» or Amneris in «Aida», the last being her most frequent part.

However, Janina Baechle has always had a strong inclination to do concerts. In recent years, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra have invited her to sing in Mahler’s 2nd Symphony (under Seiji Ozawa) and «The Song of the Earth» (under Kent Nagano). Many listeners were surprised to hear that this voice, fit for the great Wagner parts, was also able to master a most tender pianissimo. Since graduation Janina Baechle has been touring from recital to recital presenting the most astonishing programs — in German, English, French, Italian or Russian. Of course she feels comfortable with Brahms, Wolf and her beloved Mahler. At present she feels also a strong affinity to the French repertoire and the French language which she speaks better than most people in France.

«Chansons Grises», her debut album as a recitalist, documents this German-French inclination with a song selection both exclusive and unexpected, yet overtly charming. Janina Baechle’s intonation is as soulful as it is precise, ravishingly melting with these rarely heard song jewels born out of art nouveau and symbolism. Austrian Kurier read: «Baechle convinces her audience profoundly in each of her superb interpretations (…). The artist carries an overwhelming voice, a beautiful middle-range, a dramatically coloured contralto and a brilliant and radiant height including perfect intonation and clearest articulation.» For Die Presse, «hearing the in Vienna already beloved opera singer in a lied recital was fascinating in every sense: amazing how sophisticated and always with the right intensity she uses her dramatic as well as smooth and gleaming mezzo-soprano. Janina Baechle interprets precisely and according to each word and all meanings of the lyrics.»

An important moment in Janina Baechle’s life was when she met Charles Spencer, the favorite accompanist of singer Christa Ludwig, most of whose parts at the State Opera were passed on to Janina. Born in England, Charles Spencer has studied in London and Vienna. He was Christa Ludwig’s accompanist for 12 years until her good-bye tour in 1993. He also worked with June Anderson, Gundula Janowitz, Marjana Lipovsek, Jessye Norman and Thomas Quasthoff.